THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


LILIES  OF  THE  VALLEY 


at 


BY 
PERCIVAL    W.    WELLS 


AUTHOR   OF 

THE  MAJOR  OF  THE    KETTLE-DRUM,    THE  MARTYR'S   RETURN, 
HERBERT  GRAY,   ETC. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 
PERCIVAL  AND  LILLIAN  WELLS 


WANTAGH,  NEW  YORK 

BARTLETT  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

1915 


COPYRIGHT,  1915 

BY 
PERCIVAL  W.   WELLS 


£0  Eillian 
La.rt  anrf  ./Vow  Afy  Ow/y 


TT7HAT  w  f/*£tt?  in  f  /»'.$•  /i/<?  on 
r  r       Us  wearied  passengers  to  it  so  fast? 
Is  it  the  memory  of  blessings  past, 
Or  thoughts  and  hopes  of  future  felicities? 
How  often  pleasures  seem  but  vanities, 
And  darkening  shadows  of  lowering  tempests  cast 
Unwholesome  gloom  o'er  us,  and  then  at  last 
The  spirit  appears  to  sink  in  obscurities! 
Yet  love  will  save  a  suffering  soul  from  death 
And  its  desires,  and  bring  to  unhappy  us 
In  the  hour  of  need  a  thrill  of  victory, 
A  new  return  of  strength,  a  quickened  breath, 
A  faith  in  fortune  more  felicitous: 
So  then  with  love  we  soar  into  the  sky. 


612860 

UBRARY 


AMOR  ET  LIBRI 

THE  Cupid  lying  down  symbolizes  time  taken 
from  the  rush  of  the  world  for  reading,  think 
ing  and  meditation,  and  a  love  for  it,  taken  with 
pleasure  and  not  as  drudgery.  Cupid  is  in  Nature — 
open  Nature,  and  therefore  he  symbolizes  what  is 
natural  in  opposition  to  what  is  artificial,  superficial 
or  false.  The  sign  on  the  tree,  Amor  et  Libri, 
means  Love  and  Books,  Love  of  Books,  or  Love  for 
Books;  Cupid  and  the  Books,  or  Cupid  and  Books 
(there  being  two  names  for  Cupid  in  Latin,  Cupido 
and  Amor).  The  whole  thing  symbolizes  a  uniting 
harmoniously  of  natural  affection  with  high  and  true 
culture,  heart  and  mind  working  together,  sympathy 
and  intellectuality,  the  divine  (Cupid  was  a  god) 
with  the  human,  simplicity  and  wisdom. 


CONTENTS 

Page 

To    Lillian        ....        .        .        .  .    .     .      5 

Foreword  .         .         .         .        .         .         .         .         .   .  7 

List   of    Illustrations         .         .         .  .         .         .11 

The  Love  of  All  the  Years      ....        .  .      .13 

I  Wander  Thro'  the  Wood  This  Morn        .  .        .        .14 

Violets  .        .        .        .''...        .        .15 

As  Summer's  Kisses        .        .        .        .        .        .        .16 

To  Thee        .;.        .        .        ,        .        .  .        .     17 

I  Love  the  Name  of  Lillian     .        .        ..        ...     18 

A  Dream          .        .        ...        .        .        .        ...     19 

What  Care  I?          .        .        .        .        .        .        ;        .21 

Wild  Roses .     22 

The  Sorrows  of  Love      .        ...        .        .        .23 

Memory  .         .         .....        .         ..-        .24 

Loneliness !        .        .        .  "     .        ,        .        .        .        .25 

In  the  Vale  of  Tears      .        .        .'•       ...        .26 

A  World  of  Love   .         .        .        .        ".        ...     27 

Beneath  the  Shades  of  Night          .        .        ....     28 

The  Ideal .        .    29 

Why  All  This  Beauty?   .        .        .        .....',        .30 

Be  Not  Affrighted,  Lillian      .        .        .        .        .        .31 

Lov'st  Thou?  .        .        .        .        ...        .32 

Like  to  the  Robin  .        .  .        .        .        .33 

Vox    Amoris    .        .     •    '.        .        .        .        .        .        .34 

There  is   no   Limit  •         • 35 

Where  Is   Heaven? 36 

To  Lillian        .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .37 

My   Angel .38 


Page 

The  Whip-poor-will 39 

How  I  Do  Love 40 

Life's    Just    Begun 41 

Her  Eyes  Are  Like  the  Heavens      .         .         .         .         .42 

A  Love  Poem           ........  43 

There'll  Come  a  Time      .......  44 

My    World 45 

The  Art  of  Love 46 

In  Futurum      .........  47 

Who  Loves  His  Sweetheart  More  Than  I?  .         .48 

Four  Laughing  Eyes        .......  49 

Put  Thy  Hand  in  Mine 50 

God  Is  With  Us 51 

A   Beautiful   Flower 52 

I  Am   Not   Sad 53 

Why  Do  I  Love  You? 54 

Our  Jailor,  Love      ........  55 

A  Voice  from  the  Heart          ......  56 

The   May  Night 57 

Beautiful  Rose  of  Summer      ......  58 

A  Lovely  Rose        ........  59 

Semper   Idem            ........  60 

To  My  Wife 61 

Not   Dusk,  but   Morning           ......  62 

Thine   Eyes 63 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

And  lakes  give  outlet  to  the  sea  .        .      Frontispiece 

Page 

O  flower,  bend  to  me  thy  petals  blue      .         .         .         .15 

"You've  played  the  game  of  love 

Quite  long  enough,  my  friend"          .         .         .         .19 

For  I  may  see  my  love  no  more      .         .         .         .         .22 
And   I   sat  me  down  to  dream       .         .         .         .         .26 

While  the  church-bells  peal 

Their  message  full  of  love        .         .         ,         .         .34 

Why  all  this  beauty?       . 39 

Who  then  shall  be  my  angel  love 

Save    Lillian?  48 

Life's  just   begun!         ......  .60 


THE  LOVE  OF  ALL  THE  YEARS 

THE  love  of  all  the  years  gone  by 
Shall  be  at  last  for  thee  alone; 
The  bosom  where  my  old  loves  lie 
Shall  be,  sweetheart,  thine  own. 

As  brooks  flow  down  into  a  lake, 
And  lakes  give  outlet  to  the  sea, 

So  my  love  grows,  and  thou  mayst  take 
And  keep  it  safe  with  thee. 

A  sigh — a  flash  of  memory  — 
A  swollen  heart — a  burning  tear — 

Shall  turn  to  living  love  for  thee, 
For  thou  art  the  most  dear. 

By  loving  I  have  learned  to  pour 
Love's  sweetness   from  my  breast; 

Give  me  thy  fellowship,  no  more — 
Thine  be  all  the  rest! 


13 


I  WANDER  THRO'  THE  WOOD   THIS  MORN 

1  WANDER  thro'  the  wood  this  morn— 
Among  green  trees  I  rove; 
And  lo!  the  branches  and  the  leaves 
Whisper  to  me,  "Love." 

O'er   earth's    fair   fields    I   dreaming   walk, 

Dreaming  of  treasure-trove; 
But  all  the  meadows  seem  to  sing, 

"Thy  greatest  treasure  is  Love." 

Beneath  the  mighty  sky  I  breathe  a  sigh, 

Seeking  God  above; 
But  the  birds  and  trees  and  meadows  whisper, — 

"Seek  for  God  in  Love!" 


14 


T- 


o  _ 


^    1> 

.   E 


VIOLETS 

WE  stopped  to  pick  some  violets  on  the  plain, 
And  in  the  sunshine  laughed  once  and  again; 
The  day  was  beautiful;  and  there 

I  watched  the  wind  dally  with  her  hair. 

We  picked  more  violets,  and  I 

Placed  them  on  her  bosom  lovingly; — 

O  flower,  bend  to  me  thy  petals  blue, 
And  tell  me,  will  my  love  be  ever  true? 


15 


AS  SUMMER'S  KISSES 

AS  Summer's  kisses  and  the  sun 
Descend  to  glorify  sweet  flowers, 
So  may  God's  blessings  fall  in  showers 

Upon  my  Lillian — 
A  lily  of  the  valley,  she, 

An  angel  from  above 
Transformed  into  a  flower  for  me — 
My  lily  of  love! 


16 


TO  THEE 

THOU  art  for  me  like  to  a  Summer's  rose 
Which  patiently  has  waited  thro'  the  Spring 
(Winter  passed,  and  loosened,  the  frost-bound  floes) 
For  stirring  impulse  and  tender  opening. 

Thy  lips  are  redder  than  the  petals  rare 

Which  show  their  beauty  to  the  morning  dew ; 

Thy  glowing  cheeks  for  me  are  far  more  fair 
Than  bloom  of  Jacqueminots  when  budding  new. 

The  moving  fragrance  of  thy  love-warmed  breath 
Is  sweeter  than  the  sweetest  rose  perfume; 

Thy  hair  more  beautiful  than  any  wreath 
Of  Summer's  perfect  roses  blown  in  June. 

Where  roses  are,  must  there  be  too  a  thorn? 
Not  with  the  rose  that  on  my  heart  is  worn ! 


17 


I  LOVE  THE  NAME  OF  LILLIAN 

1LOVE  the  name  of  Lillian — 
It  sounds  to  me  so  sweet 
That  I  would  wish  forever 
"Lillian"  to  repeat. 

I  love  the  eyes  of  Lillian — 
So  blue  and  full  of  light ! 

To  look  into  her  eyes  would  be 
Forever  a  delight. 

I  love  the  voice  of  Lillian — 
Like  Nature's  murmuring, 

Which  overflows  with  purest  love 
Especially  in  Spring. 

How  do  I  not  love  Lillian — 

Whose  name  and  eyes  and  voice 

Remain  like  jewels  in  my  mind 
O'er  which  I  e'er  rejoice! 


18 


- 

"" 


§5 


s 

a 


A   DREAM 

THE  other  night  I  had  a  dream: 
Young  Cupid  came  to  me, 
And  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye 

Which  I  could  plainly  see, 
He  said,   "You've  played  the  game  of  iove 

Quite   long   enough,   my   friend; 
The  other  gods  and  I  are  sure 

Tis  time  it  found  an  end. 
The  girl  you  fell  in  love  with  first 

Had   thoughtful   hazel   eyes, 
And  when  with  love  you  gazed  in  them 

They  bore  you  to  the  skies; 
But  it  is  rare  that  man  can  live 

Forever  with  the  one 
Whom  he  first  loves,  and  so,  alas ! 

You  parted — sad  and  lone. 
Ah,  then  you  flirted  with  the  girls, 

Yes  almost  cruelly, 
Yet  could  not  find  a  soul  like  hers 

Whose  mate  you  might  not  be: 
Those  hazel  eyes  will  haunt  you,  friend — 

They  loved  you  faithfully. 
Brown  eyes  came  next,  but  they,  I  wist, 

Were  fickle  in  their  deed, 

19 


And  through  their  faithlessness  they  caused 

Your  heart — your  own — to  bleed! 
Then  blue  you  chose  as  being  fair — 

Deep  as  the  summer  sea — 
But  soon  their  inspiration  failed 

Because  they  were  too  free. 
Hazel,  and  brown,  and  blue,  and  green, 

And  even  brilliant  black 
Brought  temporary  light  to  you, 

Which  quickly  faded  back 
Into  the  soul  from  whence  it  came — 

Fickleness,  alack! 
But  time  has  come  when  you  must  choose 

Betwixt  the  blue  and  brown. 
Here  are  Fate's  scales — let's  put  both  in 

And  see  which  one  goes  down." 
So  Cupid  placed  each  in  its  pan, 

And  held  them  up  to  view; 
I'll  let  you  guess  which  kicked  the  beam — 

The  brown  eye  or  the  blue? 


20 


WHAT    CARE    I? 

THE  wings  of  night  that  hover  low, 
Flitting  sad  and  lonesomely, 
Are  naught — what  do  I  care, 
When  she  loves  me? 

What  care  I  if  the  day  be  dark 
And  shadows  fall  across  the  sky? 
No  gloom  can  close  the  windows  of  my  heart 
When  she  loves  me! 


21 


WILD   ROSES 

THE  roses  grow  on  hill  and  shore: 
Bloom,  O  beautiful  flower,  for  me! 
For  I  may  see  my  love  no  more, — 
He  has  gone  out  to  sea. 

Oh,  smile  for  me,  sweet  wilding  rose, 

Kissed  by  the  morning  sun; 
My  breast,  once  gay,  is  filled  with  woes — 

Its  cares  are  never  done. 

How  quickly  do  the  roses  wither 
When  plucked  from  off  their  stem! 

My  heart,  in  this  wild,  stormy  weather, 
Is  wilting,  like  to  them. 

The  roses  on  the  hill  and  shore 
Have  ceased  to  bloom  for  me, 

For  I  shall  see  my  love  no  more — 
He  has  gone  out  to  sea ! 


22 


And  I  sat  me  down  to  dream. — Page  26. 


THE  SORROWS  OF  LOVE 

LIKE  Ata'i,  Turkish  poet, 
Sing  I  of  a  loveless  maid: — 
Love  a  bubble,  nothing  to  it — 
Only  grievance  it  has  made. 
"Heedless  mistress!     Loveless   fortune! 

Ever  shifting,  restless  sky! 
Sorrows  many !     Friends  not  any ! 
Strong-starred  foeman;  feeble  I!" 

Girl  with  eyes  like  stars  in  heaven, 

Beautiful  as  perfect  day, 
Why  my  aching  heart  hast  riven? 

Why  dost  thou  not  love  me?  say! 
"Heedless  mistress!     Loveless  fortune! 

Ever  shifting,  restless  sky! 
Sorrows  many!     Friends  not  any! 
Strong-starred  foeman;  feeble  I!" 

Never  will  the  shadows  lengthen 

More  than  those  that  cover  me; 
Give  me  only  night  to  strengthen 

Grief  that  comes  from  loving  thee! 
"Heedless  mistress!     Loveless  fortune! 

Ever  shifting,  restless  sky! 
Sorrows  many!     Friends  not  any! 
Strong-starred  foeman ;  feeble  I !" 

23 


MEMORY 

THE  fairest  faces  that  we  gaze  upon, 
That  touch  our  soul — the  tender  instrument 
Of  sympathetic  love,  with  pleasure  pent — 
Stay  but  a  little  while,  and  soon  are  gone 
Beyond  the  dim  and  misty  horizon, — 
And  we  know  not,  alas !  whither  they  went 
Or  with  what  bitter  sorrows  they  are  spent, 
Those  features  which  in  our  fond  eyes  so  shone! 
To  leave  a  sweetheart  is  the  worst  of  woes : 
A  lonely  lover  has  no  happiness, 
So  far  from  human  sympathy  he  goes — 
Despairing,  suffocated,  comfortless ! 
O  soul-consuming  Grief,  clouding  the  sky, — 
What  else  art  thou,  forlorn,  pale  Memory? 


24 


LONELINESS! 

THE  sky  is  dark,  the  world  is  dark, 
And  all  around  I  see 
Nothing  but  darkness,  for  the  light 
Of  love  has  gone  from  me. 

My  heart  is  weary  when  the  day 
Breaks  from  the  morning  sky; 

And  in  the  evening  it  is  sad — 
"Where  is  my  Love?"  I  cry. 

Alas!  will  no  love  ever  come 

Upon  the  wings  of  time 
To  touch  my  soul  with  happiness 

And  render  it  sublime? 

Will  no  love  e'er  o'ertake  my  path 

As  nearer  Death  I  flee? 
O  God,  have  mercy  on  my  soul, 

And  give  my  Love  to  me! 


25 


IN  THE  VALE  OF  TEARS 

SOMEWHERE  within  the  Vale  of  Tears 
I  lost  my  sweetest  Love; 
And  tho'  for  many  saddened  years 

With  aching  heart  I  strove 
To  find  my  sweetest  Love  again 

Within  the  dusky  grove, 
And  soothe  the  fears 

That  swelled  my  heart  with  pain, — 
I  wandered  thro'  the  Vale 

Tempestuously — bereft 
Of  reason,  weak  and  strangely  pale, 
Seeking  for  traces  that  my  Love  had  left. 

I  saw  upon  a  sighing  tree, 

On  whose  dark  stem  were  tears  that  it  had  shed, 
A  pair  of  cooing,  whispering  doves, 

And  I  hated  them  because  they  had  their  loves — 
Love  had  deserted  me! 

Along  a  dell  shaded  with  drooping  leaves, 
And  strewn  with  flowers  whose  tiny  roots  had  bled, 

I  heard  a  babbling  stream: 
Thought  I,  "The  brooklet  grieves, 

Perhaps  because  its  Lover,  too,  is  dead !" 
And  I  sat  me  down  to  dream. 


26 


jo     o 

u 


A   WORLD    OF   LOVE 

A  WORLD  of  love  is  a  world  of  pain 
Through  which  we  mortals  pass; 
After  sorrows,  love  again, 
And  then  more  pain,  alas! 

Our  troubled  souls  are  bowed  from  grief, 

Pursuing  a  little  pleasure. 
O  man,  thou  shouldst  not  place  belief 

In  joys  that  have  no  measure! 

How  can  we  then  sublimely  live 

Without  a  touch  of  sorrow? 
For  the  very  pain  which  we  receive 

Fits  us  for  life's  tomorrow. 


27 


BENEATH   THE   SHADES   OF   NIGHT 

MY  wearied  spirit  seeks  for  rest 
Beneath  the  shades  of  night, 
And  to  Sleep's  kingdom,  as  a  guest, 
It  wings  its  fitful  flight. 

A  peaceful  hour  at  gathering  eve 

Alone  I  set  apart, 
And  let  the  soothing  shadows  weave 

Themselves  into  my  heart. 

O  sweetest  rest !     O  wondrous  dreams ! 

That  in  my  sleep  are  wove; 
When  I  awake,  it  strangely  seems 

I  feel  thy  presence,  Love. 

Sleep  on,  dream  on,  O  thou  my  soul 
Beneath  the  shades  of  night, — 

For  swift  the  receding  shadows  roll, 
And  dawn  will  bring  thee  light. 


28 


THE    IDEAL 

PHILOSOPHERS  have  asked,  What  is  the  real? 
They  have  not  answered  it,  but  only  gave 

To  men  a  grist  of  words — a  grave 
In  which  to  bury  thought.     These  then  but  steal 

Away  to  graveyards  while  the  church-bells  peal 
Their  message  full  of  love,  when  all  the  nave 

Is  thronged  with  worshippers  who  wish  to  save 
Something  of  life — ah!  they  have  the  ideal! 

Are  we  to  take  the  trees  when  they  are  bare 
As  symbols  of  great  Nature's  course?     Must  we 

Harvest  the  wheat  when  it  is  choked  with  tare? 
Love  and  ideals  do  paint  reality 

With  glowing  colors,  making  wondrous  fair 
The  spirit's  stay  on  earth,  where'er  it  be! 


29 


WHY  ALL  THIS  BEAUTY? 

THE  wonders  of  the  world  appall  me  tonight — 
The  sun  that  has  sunk  down  from  out  the  sky 

Has  left  a  veil  of  glorious  blazonry, 
Which  lingers  on  in  tints  of  golden  light; 

The  slender  moon  with  silver  horns  bedight 
Has  rarer  beauty  and  more  brilliancy 

Than  e'er  I've  seen — perhaps  love's  radiancy 
Has  given  added  splendor  to  the  night. 

Why  all  this  beauty?     Is  it  just  to  please 
The  race  of  man?     Is  Nature's  glorious 

Adornment  merely  a  little  passing  show 
Which  we  can  scorn  or  appreciate  at  our  ease? 

If  we  think  Nature  made  only  for  us, 
We  know  not  God  as  Him  we  ought  to  know. 


30 


BE  NOT  AFFRIGHTED,  LILLIAN 

LIKE  a  swollen  river  runs  my  love  for  thee, 
Deep-bosomed,  unbridled,  mighty  in  its  course, 
Now  calm  and  still,  flowing  full  and  free — 
Yet  soon  it  rushes  down  steep  cataracts  and  pours 
Its  seething  volume  toward  the  distant  sea, 

Wearing  the  rocks  to  foam  with  furious  force. 
The  ripples  on  the  bosom  of  my  love 

Come  not  from  shallows,  but  rise  from  passion's 

wind 
That  finds  a  swift  descent  from  the  heavens  above 

The  common  fields  where  puny  brooklets  wind 
Their  listless  way,  and  with  great  tempests  move 
The  astonished  earth.     My  love — 'tis  of  such  kind! 


31 


LOV'ST   THOU? 

THE  Springtime  glory  has  burst  forth 
With  burgeoned,  budding  bowers ; 
With  verdant  carpets  on  the  earth, 
And  birds  and  fragrant  flowers. 

The  laughing  world  is  bright  and  gay ; 

The  rivers  run  with  glee ; 
And  winged  winds  sing  soft  and  say, — 

"Lov'st  thou?  for  I  love  thee." 


32 


LIKE  TO  THE  ROBIN 

A  LITTLE  robin  sang  with  rapture 
Upon  a  cherry  tree, 
Defying  the  world  to  come  and  capture 
Himself  and  his  melody. 

He  swelled  his  throat  and  thrilled  with  glee, 

Rejoicing  at  the  Spring, 
And  bade  the  world  to  come  and  see 

How  gaily  he  could  sing. 

0  Spring-time  love,  if  thou  canst  make 
Yon  robin  trill  with  glee, 

1  do  beseech  thee,  only  take 
My  heart  and  gladden  me ! 


33 


VOX  AMORIS 

THE  music  of  the  voice  you  love 
Is  like  the  song  of  birds  in  Spring 
Who  seek — blithe,  airy  troubadours — 
Their  highest  happiness  by  warbling  forth 
Caressing  melodies, — 
Oh  love,  oh  love,  oh  love ! 

The  voice  of  the  one  you  love 
Is  music  of  myriad  bells 
Soft-toned  in  paradisal  harmony, 
With  silver  tongues  that  chime 
Oh  love !  oh  love ! — 
Touching,  transcending  cadences — 
Love !  love !  oh  love ! 

The  music  of  the  voice  you  love 

Is  like  the  breathing  of  a  soul 

That's  found  eternal  havens  of  peace, — 

Oh  love !  love !  oh  love ! 


34 


s- 


<   cr 

- 


THERE  IS  NO  LIMIT 

THERE  is  no  limit  to  the  love 
That  mortal  men  can  have, 
Nor  will  there  be  an  end  to  that 
.  Their  hungry  spirits  crave. 

If  God  is  love,  then  we  indeed 

Are  very  parts  of  God, 
Because  love  is  the  greatest  thing 

For  which  our  lives  have  stood. 

We  should  not  seek  a  heaven  in  heaven, 

But  on  the  earth  with  us: 
And  there  is  no  limit  to  our  reach 

If  we  are  virtuous. 

No  longer  search,  O  men,  for  God 

Afar  in  a  distant  heaven, 
For  you  will  find  Him  in  yourselves 

With  the  love  that  He  has  given. 


35 


WHERE   IS   HEAVEN? 

WHERE  is  heaven? 
A  place  above  the  skies 
Where  one  with  wings  plays  on  a  harp 
After  he  dies? 

And  paradise? 
Beyond  the  rolling  sun — 
Assembly  of  the  blessed  saints 
When  all  is  done? 

Heaven  is  here — 

In  thy  blue  eyes  I  see 

My  fate,  my  fortune,  my  future  life, — 

For  I  love  thee! 


36 


TO    LILLIAN 

WHEN  thou  wast  with  me,  by  thy  love 
And  presence  I  was  buoyed; 
But  now  that  thou  art  far  from  me, 
My  life  is  but  a  void. 

As  when  by  day  the  cheerful  sun 

Shines  gaily  from  the  sky, 
But  sinks  at  eventide  to  rest 

And  night  comes  with  a  sigh, — 

So  I  miss  thee  since  thou  art  gone 

Away  from  me,  dear  heart; 
But  there  will  come  a  time — God  grant — 

When  we  shall  never  part. 


37 


MY  ANGEL 

WHO  is  the  nearest  to  my  heart, 
The  dearest,  sweetest  one? 
Who  but  the  heavenly-souled, 
Angelic  Lillian? 

When  we  depart  from  this  fair  world 
Which  we  in  love  have  lived  upon, 

Who  then  shall  be  my  angel  love 
Save  Lillian? 


38 


Why  all  this  beauty  ?—Pagc  30. 


THE   WHIP-POOR-WILL 

THE  whip-poor-will  is  singing  in  the  wood, 
Whip-poor-will,  whip-poor-will,  whip-poor-will ! 
It  strikes  to  my  heart  a  feeling  of  solitude — 
Hark — now  all  is  still. 

The  whip-poor-will  is  grieving  for  its  mate — 

Or  is  it  calling  for  a  love  to  come? 
I  too  am  lonely,  and  how  can  I  wait 

To  take  my  sweetheart  to  our  little  home? 

I  love  the  song  of  the  purring  whip-poor-will, 
Although  it  brings  such  sadness  to  my  heart; 

Not  pain,  but  loneliness  which  seeks  to  fill 
My  bosom — for  I  miss  my  dear  sweetheart! 

The  whip-poor-will  is  singing  in  the  wood — 
Whip-poor-will,   whip-poor-will,   whip-poor-will ! 

It  touches  my  heart  with  solitude — 
Hark — now  all  is  still. 


39 


HOW  DO   I   LOVE 

AS  Summer  loves  the  Earth, 
Kissing  it  into  divine  fragrance, — 
So  I  love  thee,  for  thou  art  worth 

More  than  the  whole  world's  excellence; 
Thou  knowest  that  I  speak  the  truth:  yet  prove, 

If  thou  desirest,  my  love 
For  thee,  O  virgin  Innocence! 


40 


LIFE'S  JUST  BEGUN! 

LIFE'S  just  begun!  the  flowing  tide 
Of  love  has  stirred  it  into  motion. 
Farewell  to  bachelorhood's  calm  pride, 

And  welcome,  love's  intense  emotion! 
With  my  fair  Lillian  by  my  side, 

And  her  affection  for  my  portion, 
What  care  I  for  the  world  beside? 

For  life  is  mine — I'm  sailing  on  Love's  ocean. 


41 


HER  EYES  ARE  LIKE  THE  HEAVENS 

THE  white  clouds  flit  across  the  skies, 
Which  lie,  deep-blue,  above; 
I  stand  and  gaze  at  them  with  thoughtful  eyes, 
Dreaming  of  Lillian,  the  girl  I  love. 

The  heavens  remind  me  of  her  eyes, 
So  wonderfully  blue  and  full  of  light; 

The  clouds  are  like  her  smiles  I  prize — 
So  beautifully  bright! 


42 


A   LOVE   POEM 

GOD  knows  I  love  sweet  Lillian, 
My  lily  of  the  dell; 
And  that  I  love  her  even  more 
Than  I  could  ever  tell. 

She  is  so  good — sweet  Lillian — 
I  know  God  loves  her,  too: 

And  He  has  special  interest 
In  lovers  who  are  true. 


43 


THERE'LL    COME   A    TIME 

LILLIAN,  there'll  come  a  time  when  thou  and  I 
Shall  be  united  ne'er  to  part; 
And  thy  white  bosom  then  shall  lie 
Against  my  beating  heart. 

Till  then  we'll  live  in  fondest  dreams 

Of  happiness,  dear  one; 
God  be  our  guide,  for  so  it  seems 

He  is  e'er  with  us,  Lillian. 


44 


MY    WORLD 

BESIDE  my  parents  and  my  friends 
I  have  two  loves:  the  one 
Is  Nature — comrade  and  sweet  nurse; 

And  the  other,  Lillian, 
Whose  loving  passion  for  me  stirs 

My  deepest  soul  and  bends 
Me  to  her  with  a  benediction. 

What  if  all  else  should  fail 
And  seeming  friends  depart  from  me 

(Let  it  be  understood 
I  do  not  speak  of  Jesus  and  of  God, 

Whose  presence  stays  eternally)  ? 
I  still  should  have  no  sorrow  to  bewail 

So  long  as  Nature  and  the  Sun 
Were  faithful  to  me — and  Lillian! 


45 


THE  ART  OF  LOVE 

BY  loving  we  learn  to  love — indeed  there  is 
No  other  way.    Our  hearts  need  exercise 
To  have  the  secrets  of  their  handicraft, — 
Just  as  the  jeweler  must  labor  long 
Before  he  can  produce  a  marvelous  thing. 
Apprenticeship  comes  first,  and  then  the  art 
Of  setting  gems  and   fashioning  with  care 
Fine  gold  and  silver-work,  and  beautiful 
Designs,  which  do  demand  a  skilful  hand, 
Knowledge,  patience,   and  high   efficiency. 
As  children  in  our  family  we  begin 
Apprenticeship  to  Love's  most  noble  Art; 
And  then  as  eager  youth  comes  on  apace, 
We  journey  abroad  to  find  a  quick  response 
To  passion — and  here  we  must  evade  Scyllas 
And  dangerous  Charybdises,  or  else 
Love's  shipwreck  strews  itself  upon  the  rocks 
Where  lurk  all  kinds  of  enemies — the  Shapes 
Of  Cynicism,  Hatred,  Scorn,  Despair, 
Beside  a  thousand  other  revengeful  forms ; 
At  last,  if  Love's  apprentice  has  safely  made 
The  necessary  journey  and  learned  his  art, 
He  takes  a  comrade  who  will  freely  give 
Him  love  for  love  and  help  affectionately 
The  now  perfected  artist  in  a  home 
Where  love  does  constitute  the  stock  of  gems, 
And  may  be  had  by  all  who  come  to  buy, — 
But  only  at  the  price  of  other  love. 

46 


IN  FUTURUM 

THERE'S  nothing  greater  in  this  earthly  life, 
Which  we  can  live  but  once,  however  much 
We  long  for  another  chance  and  dread  the  touch 
Of  Death  and  his  unsympathetic  knife, 

Than  noble  love  between  a  man  and  wife. 
The  Spirit  of  God  is  ever  near  to  such 

A  holy  union,  guarding  it  from  the  clutch 
Of  trouble-gatherers  who  ferment  strife. 

As  two  great  seas  are  brought  together,  so 
Two  loving  and  responsive  souls  are  made 

Into  one  soul  for  all  eternity; 
On  earth  they  share  both  joy  and  pain,  and  lo ! 

When  they  depart  this  globe  where  they  have  stayed 
Their  little  while,  they  can  all  Time  defy! 


47 


WHO  LOVES  HIS  SWEETHEART  MORE  THAN  I? 

WHO  loves  his  sweetheart  more  than  I 
Do  love  my  perfect  Lillian? 
There  is  no  hymn  within  Love's  psaltery 

To  me  more  precious  than  this  fair  one — 
"I  love  my  Lillian." 

Who  trusts  his  darling  more  than  I 

My  lovely  Lillian? 
What  sweetness  in  this  melody — 

"Even  when  earthly  fellowships  are  done, 
I  still  will  love  and  trust  my  Lillian"! 


48 


Who   then   shall   be   my   angel   love 
Save    Lillian?— Page   38. 


FOUR   LAUGHING   EYES 

FOUR  eyes  that  laugh  with  one  intent, 
Four  lips  that  smile  with  innocent  fun, 
Two  breaths  that  meet  with  love's  sweet  scent, 

Which  would  entice  a  nun. 
It  is  no  sin,  so  why  repent? 

God's  blessing  on  two  hearts  that  beat  as  one — 
My  own  and  the  heart  of  Lillian! 


49 


PUT   THY   HAND   IN   MINE 

PUT  thy  hand  in  mine,  and  kiss  me  tenderly, 
Beautiful  Lillian,  fashioned  so  slenderly; 
Place  a  kiss  upon  my  lips  with  thy  dear  lips  so  soft, 
And  do  not  stop  with  one,  but  kiss  me  oft. 

Put  thy  gentle  arms  about  me,  little  dove, 
And  hold  me  close  to  thy  deep-bosomed  breast; 

And  let  us  thrill  with  one  another's  love, 
O  wondrous  lily  that  I  love  the  best ! 

Then  let  us  pray  to  God  that  He  may  be, 
With  His  great  Spirit,  near  us  eternally ; 

Thus,  darling,  together,  on  our  knees — 

Before  our  God,  who  knows,  and  hears,  and  sees. 


SO 


GOD    IS   WITH   US 

THE  sunset  glowed  upon  the  evening  sky, 
And  it  was  fairer  than  the  day; 
Its  beauty  brought  to  me  a  sigh, 

Thinking  of  Lillian,  who  was  away — 
Lillian,  my  angel  child,  my  pet, 

The  darling  of  my  heart, 
Whom  I  had  seen  not  long  ago,  and  yet 

From  whom  I  had  to  part! 
But  by  the  tender  grace  of  God, 

We  soon  shall  be  in  each  other's  arms, 
And  then  we'll  whisper,  "God  is  good, 

And  may  He  keep  us  from  all  harms." 


51 


A  BEAUTIFUL  FLOWER 

Ilove  a  lily-of-the-valley, 
And  long  to  have  her  near; 
When  one  loves  such  a  flower,  shall  he 
Not  keep  and  on  his  bosom  wear? 

In  the  Garden  of  Love  there  does  not  grow 

A  blossom  more  beautiful — 
White  as  driven  snow, 

Modest,  pure  and  dutiful. 

I  am  the  gardener,  and  I  will  take 

The  lily  home  with  me; 
Fragrant  as  a  rose,  fair  as  a  snow-flake — 

With  her  to  love,  how  happy  I  shall  be! 


52 


I  AM  NOT  SAD 

IF  pensive  sighs  and  tearful  eyes 
And  lonely  heart  o'erflowing 
Would  please  my  love — my  sweetest  dove, 
I'd  never  cease  from  crying. 

But  since  my  girl — oh  precious  pearl — 

Loves  me  with  happy  passion, 
Why  should  I  weep  or  red  eyes    keep? 

My  heart  needs  no  compassion. 


53 


WHY  DO  I  LOVE  YOU? 

DEAR  little  dove,  with  eyes  so  blue, 
With  trembling  I  look  down 
Into  your  eyes — if  you  but  knew 
The  love  I  give  you  for  a  crown ! 

You  ask  me,  beautiful  dove, 
Why  do  I  have  such  love  for  you? 

Why  do  I  love? 
Ah,  yes — I  love — because  I  do! 


54 


OUR   JAILOR,    LOVE 

LOVE  is  our  jailor — I  and  he 
Enjoy  our  prison  gay  and  free; 
Come  too,  dear  people,  by  our  side, 
And  bring  as  jailor,  Love,  beside. 

Our  court  is  full  of  mirthful  eyes, 
Of  roguish  hearts  and  merry  cries; 

The  prison  doors  are  open  wide, — 
Come  with  us,  and  bring  Love  beside! 


55 


A   VOICE   FROM   THE   HEART 

IF  friends  were  always  true  to  me, 
And  faithful  to  their  trust, 

Treasuring  more  sincerity 
Than  mothy  gold  and  rust; 

If  sunshine  drove  away  the  rain, 
Streaming  unclouded  down, 

And  never  let  the  mists  again 
My  mirthful  moments  drown; 

If  love  could  follow  all  the  way 
As  I  advance  thro'  life, — 

What  poetry  could  I  not,  dear,  say, 
O  sweetheart,  future  wife! 


56 


THE  MAY  NIGHT 

THERE  is  a  time,  sweetheart, 
When  all  our  sorrows  flee  away, 
And  all  else  is  forgot,  sweetheart, 

Except  remembrance  of  the  day 
When  we  first  kissed,  sweetheart, — 
That  wonderful  night  of  May! 


57 


BEAUTIFUL  ROSE  OF  SUMMER 

BEAUTIFUL  rose  of  summer, 
Sweet  in  thy  tender  bud, 
Waiting  for  lips  to  kiss  thee 

And  move  thy  crimson  blood, — 
Open,  O  beautiful  flower, 

Reveal  thy  petals  red 
And  give  to  me  the  fragrance 

The  dew  pours  o'er  thy  head. 
Ah!  would  that  God  might  give  me 

What  He  to  thee  hath  sent, 
And  let  me  live  for  ever 

As  sweet  and  innocent ! 


58 


A  LOVELY   ROSE 

1SEND  you,  dear,  this  lovely  rose, 
Because  it  looks  like  you ; 
Tell  it  your  passion,  for  who  knows 
As  much  as  roses  do? 

Take  pity  on  my  precious  rose, 
And  pin  it  on  your  breast: 

For  I  may  come  tonight — who  knows? 
To  see  the  rose-bud  pressed. 


59 


SEMPER   IDEM 

MY  heart  is  like  the  evergreen, 
Which  never  fades  away, 
But  fresh  and  vigorous  is  seen 
E'en  on  a  winter's  day. 

Like  evergreen  my  love  is,  too, 

For  it  is  fixed  upon 
A  spring  of  life  forever  true — 

The  soul  of  Lillian. 


60 


Life's  just  begun! — Page  41. 


TO   MY  WIFE 

DEAR  sweetheart,  my  heart's  delight, 
When  thou  art  far  from  me,  'tis  night; 
Come,  let  me  press  thy  breasts  of  snowy  white, 
And  feel  the  wonders  of  Love's  soaring  flight! 

I  love  thee,  oh  I  love  thee,  Lily; — stay 
Beside  thy  Percival  and  with  sweet  kisses  say 
That  thou  wilt  always  love  him.     Dearer  than  day 

Art  thou  to  me,  O  Lily — wanton  fay! 


61 


NOT  DUSK  BUT   MORNING 

GREAT  sadness  fell  upon  me, 
When  I  left  my  loving  Kate ; 
And  the  darkness  as  of  Chaos 
Seemed  to  cover  Life  and  Fate. 

Yet  there's  no  such  thing  as  Nothing 
In  this  world  where  nothing  dies, 

Where  the  Sunshine  of  the  Ages 
Always  round  about  us  lies. 

Then  I  found  a  precious  Lily, 
Love  of  loves — an  angel-wife ; 

And  a  happiness  eternal 

Has  engulfed  my  heart  and  life. 


62 


THINE  EYES 

THINE  eyes  are  lovelier  than  the  stars 
Within  the  azure  skies ; 
No  brighter  jewels  heaven  wears, 

O  love,  than  thy  blue  eyes. 
The  clouds  oft  cover  o'er  a  star 

So  it  will  cease  to  shine; 
But  may  the  clouds  be  ever  far, 
O  blue-eyed  love,  from  thine! 


63 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Form  L9-42jn-8,'49(B5573)444 


THE  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFOBNiA 
LOS  ANGELES 


PS 

35o5 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A    000  930  897    4 


